Banksy's Powerful 2-Minute Video of the Gaza Strip Will Move You

Banksy, the mysterious UK street artist, has released a new, two-minute documentary that draws attention to the destruction of the Gaza Strip. The video starts out as a fake tourist promotion ad — "Make this the year you discover a new destination" — but quickly shifts to a more somber note. The artist showcases rubble, secret tunnels, dilapidated buildings, and children playing among ruins on the street. Banksy left his own message on the wall of a building in Gaza, creating this image of a crying Greek goddess Niobe.

Other artistic pieces include children in a carnival-type swing and a kitten with a pink bow. On his personal website, Banksy made a statement: "A local man came up and said 'Please — what does this mean?' I explained I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website — but on the Internet people only look at pictures of kittens." The video concludes with a powerful graffiti message on a wall, which reads, "If we wash our hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless we side with the powerful — we don't remain neutral."